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TREATISE 

ON     THE 

NATURE  AND  CONSTITUTION 

OF     THE 

CHRISTIAN  CHURCH; 

WHEREIN    ARE    SET    FORTH 

THE  FORM  OF  ITS  GOVERNMENT, 

THE 

EXTENT  OF  ITS  POWERS, 

AND    THE 

LIMITS  OF  OUR  OBEDIENCE. 

By   WILLIAM  STEVENS,  Esc^ 
FIRST  AMERICAN  EDITION. 


NEW-YORK : 

PRINTED  BY  T.  AND  J.  SVT0S.D! 

No.  160  Pearl-street. 


1803. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


'jfrUE  following  Treatise,  extracted  chiefly  from 
*  Archbishop  Potter'.?  excellent  Discourse  concern- 
ing Church-Government,  it  is  hoped,  will  not  be 
deemed  a  publication,  at  this  time,  either  unnecessary 

or  useless.  It  was  digested  principally  with  a  -view  to 

the  instruction  of  a  person  desirous  of  information  on 
the  Nature  and  Constitution  of  the  Church;  and,  it 
is  hoped,  that  it  may  be  of  some  benefit  to  others, 
who  require  instruction  on  the  same  important  sub- 
ject:  this,  at  least,  may  be  said  in  its  favour,  that 
it  lies  within  a  narrow  compass,  and  is  level  to  the 
capacity  of  all. 

How  unnatural  it  is,  that  the  members  of  any 
sockty  should  be  ignorant  of  its  origin  and  establish- 
ment,  the  principles  on  which  it  was  instituted,  and 
the  rules  and  orders  by  which  its  credit  and  dignity 
have  been  supported!  This  ignorance,  which,  on 
other  occasions,  is  only  extremely  absurd,  when  ap- 
plied to  the  principles  of  our  ecclesiastical  constitution, 
is  highly  reprehensible  in  itself,  and  attended  with, 
the  most  dreadful  consequences ;  to  this  ignorance, 
the  adversary  artfully  applies  himself,  under  the  spe- 
cious character  of  a  candid  inquirer  after  truth — an 
advocate  for  liberty  of  conscience — and  one  who  makes 
very  great  allowunce  for  the  scruples  of  his  weak 
brethren. 

Be  it  our  endeavour,  by  timely  information,  to 
prepare  ou^elves  to  give  a  reasonable  answer  to  him 
that  inquireth  concerning  the  faith  which  we  pro- 
fess, the  doctrines  which  we  maintain,  and  the  dis- 
cipline to  which  we  submit  ourselves,  in  all  humility, 
as  (he  semants  of  Christ, 


(     4     ) 

This  information,  we  flatter  ourselves,  may,  hv 
some  respects,  be  gathered  from  the  following  Trea- 
tise, which,  without  any  further  apology,  is  com- 
mended to  the  serious-  attention  of  every  candid  and 
unprejudiced  reader ;  not  without  the  most  earnest 
desire,  that,  through  God's  blessing,,  it  may  pms- 
per,  to  the  edification  of  the  ignorant,  the  conviction 
of  the  erroneous,  and  the  establishment  of  the  faith- 
ful; that  the  ever  blessed  Trinity  may  be  worshipped 
as  such,  in  all  sincerity  and  truth ;  that  Christians 
may  no  longer  dissemble  with  God,  and  with  each 
ether,  in  transactioiis  of  the  most  serious  nature; 
that  their  conduct  may  be  directed  by  knowledge, 
7ieither  swerving  towards  an  enthusiastic  contempt 
of  all  order  and  decency  on  the  one  hand,  nor  to- 
wards a  lukewarm  indifference  to  every  thing  that  is 
sacred  on  the  other;  but  "  that  all  who  profess  and 
"  call  themselves  Christians,  may  be  led  into  the  way 
"  of  truth,  and  hold  the  faith  in  unity  of  spirit,  in 
41  the  bond  of  peace,  and  in  righteousness  of  life  " 


ON  THE  CHURCH 


AS  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  the  rule  of  our  faith 
and  practice,  it  is  from  them  we  are  to  learn 
the  nature  and  constitution  of  the  Christian  Church, 
the  form  of  its  government,  the  extent  of  its  powers, 
and  limits  of  our  obedience. 

I.  From  the  account  which  the  Divine  Records 
have  given  us  of  the  Christian  Church,  it  appears  to 
be  no  confused  multitude  of  men,  independent  one 
on  another,  but  a  well-formed  and  regular  society. 
This  is  evident  from  the  names  and  allusions  by  which 
it  is  described.  It  is  called  a.  family,  whereof  Christ 
is  the  Master,  of  whom  the  whale  family  is  named*  (a) 
It  is  said  to  be  the  city  of  the  living  God ;  (b)  whence 
Christian  people  are  fellow-citizens  with  the  saints,  fc ) 
And  it  is  often  mentioned  as  a  kingdom,  of  which 
Christ  is  the  king.  Thus,  in  our  Lord's,  words,  Thou 
art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  Church, 
and  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  Hea- 
ven; (d)  where  the  Church  and  the  Kingdom  cf  Hea- 
ven mean  the  same  thing.  As  a.  family,  a  city,  and  a 
kingdom,  are  societies,  and  the  Christian  Church  is  re- 
presented by  them,  that  must  likewise  be  a  society. 

Some  of  the  chief  characters  and  properties  of  thin 
society,  as  described  in  Holy  Scripture,  are, 

First,  That  it  is  not  a  mere  voluntary  society ;  but 
one  whereof  men  are  obliged  to  be  members,  as  they 
value  their  everlasting  happiness;  for  it  is  a  society 
appointed  by  God,  with  enforcements  of  rewards  and 
punishments.  That  it  is  of  God's  appointment  is  cer- 
tain; for  it  is  the  Church  of  the  living  Gcd.  (e)  That 
it  is  enforced  with  rewards  and  punishments  is  not 

(a)  Eph.  iii.  14,  15.     (b)  Heb.  xii.  22.     fc)    Eph.  ii.  19. 
(d)  Mftt.  xvi.  18,  19.  (e)  1  Tim.  iii.  15.. 

A2. 


(      6      ) 

less  certain  :  for  remission' of  sins,  the  grace  of  the- 
Holy  Spirit,  and  eternal  life,  are  declared  to  be  the 
privileges  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  annexed  to 
baptism,  the  constant  rite  of  initiation  into  the  Church; 
Repent  and  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  and_><?  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  (f)  And  the  consequence  of  neglecting 
to  hear  Christ  and  his  apostles  may  be  understood 
from  Mai  hew  x.  14.  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  you  nor 
hear  jour  words,  when  you  depart  out  of  that-  house  or 
city,  shake  off  the  dust  of  your  feet.  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of  Sodom  in  the 
day  of  judgment  than  for  that  city.  Now,  as  God,  by 
instituting  this  society,  and  annexing  such  rewards 
and  punishments,  has  sufficiently  declared  his  will, 
that  men  should  enter  into  it,  all  men  are  obliged  to 
become  members  of  it;  and  it  can  in  no  other  sense 
be  called  a  voluntary  society,  than  as  it  is  left  to  every 
man's  choice,  whether  he  will  be  for  ever  happy  or 
miserable. 

Secondly,  The  Christian  Church  is  a  spiritual  society. 
It  was  founded  in  opposition  to  the  kingdom  of  darknesj* 
This  is  plainly  implied  in  our  blessed  Saviour's  words 
to  St,  Peter:  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  Church,  and  the  gates  of  Hell  shall  never  pre- 
vail against  it,  (g)  "Whence  the  members  of  the 
Christian  Church  are  said  to  be  delivered  out  of  tlie 
power  of  darkness,  and  translated  into  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  (h)  And  the  Christian  people,  as  soldiers  un- 
der Christ,  are  said  to  fight,  not  against  fiesh  and  bloody 
but  against  principalities  and  powers,  against  the  riders 
£>fthe  darkness  of  this  world,  against  spiritual  wickedness 
in  high  places,  (i)  Their  armour  is  not  such  as  will 
guard  them  against  carnal,  but  spiritual  enemies  ;  it  is 
the  armour  of  light,  (k)  the  armour  of  God,  the  girdle 
of  truth,  the  breastplate  of  righteousness,  the  shield  of 
faith,  the  helmet  of  salvation,  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  (I) 

(f)  Acts  ii.  38.  (g)  Mat.  xvi.  18.  ( h)  Col.  i.  13. 

(i)  Col.  ii.  14,  15.     (kj  Rom.  xiii.  12.     (I)  Eph.  vi..l3. 


(   r   ) 

And  this  Spiritual  Society,  or  Kingdom  of  Christ,  was, 
by  the  design  of  its  Great  Founder,  to  be  distinct  from 
all  earthly  kingdoms.  My  kingdom,  says  Christ,  is  not 
of  this  world:  (m}  for  as  earthly  kingdoms  are  design- 
ed for  men's  temporal  welfare,  so  the  end  of  this  hea- 
venly kingdom  is  to  promote  our  everlasting  happiness. 

Thirdly,  It  is  an  outward  and  visible  society.  The 
name  of  Church  is  constantly  applied  in  the  Scrip- 
tures to  such  a  society.  Thus  we  find  it  used  by  our 
blessed  Saviour  himself :  Tell  it  to  the  Church.  If  ha 
neglect  to  hear  the  Church,  (n)  It  is  compared  to  a 
marriage  feast,  to  a  sheepfold,  to  a  net  full  of  fishes,  to 
a  field  of  corn,  Sec.  by  which  allusions  the  society  of 
Christians,  which  is  the  notion  implied  in  the  name  of 
Church,  is  evidently  described,  as  a  visible  body  of 
men,  taken  out  of  and  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
world.  Public  rulers  were  appointed  to  govern  the 
Church,  the  faith  was  to  be  publicly  confessed,  the 
public  worship  of  God  to  be  frequented,  and  visible 
sacraments  to  be  received  by  all  the  members  of  it; 
and  consequently  the  Christian  Church  is  an  outward 
and  visible  society. 

Fourthly,  It  is  an  universal  society,  both  with  regard 
to  place  and  with  regard  to  time.  With  regard  to 
place ;  for  Christ's  commission  to  his  apostles  was, 
to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,  (o)  and  to  teach 
and  baptize  all  nations  ;  (p)  and  with  regard  to  time  ; 
for  it  is  prophesied  concerning  Christ's  kingdom,  that 
it  shall  be  established  for  ever,  as  the  sun  and  moon 
throughout  all  generations ;  (q)  and  we  are  told  by 
St.  Paul,  that  Christ  must  reign,  till  all  his  enemies,  the 
last  of  which  is  death,  shall  be  put  under  his  feet,  (r) 
which  cannot  be  till  the  general  resurrection  ;  and  he 
himself  has  promised  to  be  with  his  apostles  and  their 
successors  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world,  (s) 

II.  Now,  since  no  well-regulated  society  ever  did 

(m)  John  xviii.  36.  (n)  Mat.  xviii.  9. 

(<>)  Mark  xvi.  15.     (p)  Mat.  xxviii.  19.    (q)  Psal.  lxxii.  5. 

ft  J  1  Cor.  xv.   26,  26.  (*.)  Mat.  xxvi.  30. 


(     «     ) 

or  can  subsist  without  officers  to  govern  it,  and  without 
some  subordination  among  these,  and  since  it  appears 
that  the  Christian  Church  is  a  regular  society,  it  must, 
of  necessity,  have  its  officers.  And  as  this  society  is 
to  be  continued  by  a  succession  of  believers  to  the 
world's  end,  it  follows,  that  there  must  be  an  unin- 
terrupted succession  of  officers  till  that  time.  And  as 
it  is  a  society  of  God's  institution,  the  officers  of  it 
must  receive  their  commission  from  Him. 

First,  That  there  are  officers  in  the  Christian  Church  - 
does  not  admit  of  doubt :  our  blessed  Lord,  the 
head  and  founder  of  it,  when  on  earth,  chose  twelve 
that  they  should  be  with  htm,  and  that  he  might  send 
them  forth  to  preach,  whom  he  named  apostles,  (t)  and 
gave  them  power  and,  authority  over  devils,  and  to  cure 
all  manner  of  diseases  ;  (v)  and  besides  these,  he  ap- 
pointed other  seventy,  fuj  After  his  resurrection, 
when  he  declared,  All  power  was  given .  unto  him  in 
heaven  and  in  earth,  he  commissioned  his  apostles,  to 
teach  and  baptize  all  nations,  (w)  and  invested  them 
with  the  same  authority  which  he  had  received  from: 
his  Father;  AS  my  lather  hath  sent  me,  EVEN  SO  send 
I  you:  (x)  as  he  had  received  authority  to  send 
them,  so  he  gave  them  authority  to  send  others;  and 
accordingly,  when  they  were  further  endued  with  power 
from  on  high  (y)  by  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
"whom  Christ  promised  to  send,  we  read,  that  they 
ordained  the  seven  deacons,  (z)  that  Paul  and  Barna- 
bas ordained  elders  in  every  Church,  (d)  and  Paul  or- 
dained Timothy:  so  that  from  the  beginning,  there 
were  three  distinct  orders  of  ministers  in  the  Church, 
namely,  that  of  deacons,  another  of  presbyters,  and  over 
them  a  superior  order,  in  which  were  not  only  the 
apostles,  but  also  Timothy  and  Titus,  who  governed 
the  Churches  in  which  they  resided. 

Secondly,  And  that  there  is  a  subordination  among 

(t)  Luke  vi.  12,  13.       (*)  Luke  ix.  1.       (u)  Luke  x.  jL  - 

( ?uj  Mat.  xxviii.  19.  (*)  John  xx.  21. 

(y)  Mat.  xxviii.  19,  20-    (z)  Acts  vi.     (a)  Acts  xiv  3& 


(  ?  ) 

the  officers  of  this  society,  is  evident  from  Scripture. 
For  the  commission  of  the  seventy  was  mere  limited 
and  restrained  than  that  of  the  twelve.  And  as  the 
apostles  and  disciples  were  subject  to  Christ,  so  were 
the  elders  and  deacons  to  the  apostles*  St.  Paul  sends 
to  Miletus,  and  calls  thither  the  elders  of  Ephcsus,  to 
whom  he  gives  a  most  solemn  charge ;  which  is  a 
manifest  sign,  that  they  were  under  his  government. 
(b)  And  at  Corinth,  where  several  prophets  and  evan- 
gelists were  then  present,  the  same  apostle,  being 
absent,  both  excommunicates,  and  absolves,  and  en- 
acts laws.  Let  the  prophets  speak  two  or  three,  and  let 
the  rest  judge,  (c)  If  any  man  think  himself  to  be  a  pro- 
phet or  spiritual,  let  him  acknowledge,  that  the  things 
ivhich  I  write  unto  you,  are  the  commandments  of  the 
Lord,  (d)  And,  in  like  manner,  Timothy,  by  virtue 
of  the  authority  conferred  on  him  by  the  imposition 
of  St.  Paul's  hands,  ruled  the  whole  Church  of  Ep/te- 
sus,  officers  as  well  as  private  Christians.  Whence  it 
is  manifest,  that  as  the  Christian  Church  was  go- 
verned by  the  three  orders  of  apostles  or  bishops, priests, 
and  deacons,  so  the  supreme  authority  was  lodged  in 
the  superior  order  of  the  apostles  or  bishops,  from  whom 
the  priests  and  deacons  derived  their  power,  and  with- 
out whose  consent  they  could  not  lawfully  perform 
any  religious  act.* 

(b)  Acts  xx.  17,  &c.  fcj   1  Cor.  xiv.  29.    (d)  1  Cor.  xiv.  36, 37. 

*  .Ehiring  the  lives  of  the  Apostles,  the  three  orders  of  the 
ministry  were  distinguished  by  the  names  of  Apostles,  Bishops 
Presbyters  or  Elders,  and  Deacons.  After  the  death  of  the 
Apostles,  their  successors  in  the  first  order  of  tha  ministry,  not 
causing  to  retain  the  name,  which,  by  way  of  eminence,  had 
been  applied  to  the  twelve,  took  the  name  of  Bishops,  which  was 
never  afterwards  applied  to  the  second  order  of  the  ministry,  but 
was  considered  as  the  distinguished  name  of  the  first  order. 
Theodoret  says  expressly,  *'  that  in  process  of  time,  those  who 
succeeded  to  the  Apostolic  office,  left  the  name  of  Apostle  to  the 
Apostles,  strictly  so  called,  and  gave  the  name  of  Bishop  to 
those  who  succeeded  to  the  Apostolic  office."  Thus  the  name 
of  Bishop,  and  that  of  Elder  or  Presbyter,  which  were  promis- 
cuously used  for  the  same  office  in  Scripture,  came  to  be  distinct 


Thirdly,  That  there  will  be  an  uninterrupted  suc- 
cession of  those  officers  in  the  Church  to  the  world's 
end,  may  be  inferred  from  the  nature  of  their  func- 
tions. Their  constant  office  is  to  prescribe  rules  for 
maintaining  the  outward  peace  and  order  of  the 
Church — to  preach  the  Gospel — to  admit  members 
into  the  Church  by  baptism  (e) — to  take  care  that 
there  be  no  schism  in  the.  body  (f) — to  administer 
the  eucharist  (g) — to  oppose  heresies  ;  (h)  and  there- 
fore their  continuance  is  as  necessary  as  their  first 
institution,  so  long  as  the  Church  shall  last :  and  as 
that  will  be  to  the  end  of  the  world,  there  must  be  a 
constant  succession  of  officers  till  the  same  time* 
And  that  it  will  be  so,  we  have  the  assurance  of  our 
Lord's  promise  to  his  apostles  just  before  his  ascen- 
sion, Lo  J  I  am  with  you  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the 
world:  (i)  the. meaning  of  which  promise  must  be, 
that  they  should  always  be  succeeded  by  others  in  the 
same  office :  for  as  the  apostles  all  died  within  the 
compass  of  fourscore  years  after  this  extensive  pro- 
mise was  made,   it  could  no  other  way  be  fulfilled, 

in  the  ecclesiastical  use  of  words.  With  respect  to  the  ministers 
of  Christ,  there  was  a  distinction  of  office  from  the  beginning. 
St.  Ignatius,  who  lived  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  thus  expressly 
designates  the  three  offices.  "  What  is  the  Bishop,  but  he  that 
hath  all  authority  and  power  ?  What  is  the  Presbytery,  but  a  sa- 
cred constitution  of  Counsellors  and  Assessors  to  the  Bishop  ? 
What  are  the  Deacons,  but  imitators  of  Christ,  and  Ministers  to 
the  Bishop,  as  Christ  was  to  the  Father."  And  again,  "  Fol- 
low, as  Jesus  Christ  the  Father,  your  Bishcp.  Let  no  man  do 
any  thing  of  what  belongs  to  tha  Church,  without  the  Bishop, 
Let  that  sacrament  be  looked  upon  to  be  firm  and  effectual  which 
is  administered  by  the  Bishop,  or  by  him  to  whom  the  Bishop 
has  committed  it.  Wherever  the  Bishop  is,  there  let  the  people 
be."  Bishops,  as  they  are  distinct  from  Presbyters,  do  not  de- 
rive their  succession  from  those  who  are  promiscuously  called  in 
the  New  Testament,  Bishops  or  Elders,  but  from  the  Apostles 
themselves  and  their  successors,  such  as  Timothy,  Titus,  Syl- 
ft-anus,  Epaphroditus,  &c. 

( ej  Acts  ii.  38,  39.  (J)  1  Cor.  xii.  4, 12,  18, 24,  28. 

(iJ  1  Cor.  xi.  23,  26.    (h)   2  Tim.  ii.  2.    fij  Mat.  xxviii.  20. 


(  "  ) 

but  by  our  Lord's  being  with  their  successors  in  the 
Gospel  ministry  till  the  world's  end. 

Fourthly,  That  the  officers  of  this  society  must  re- 
ceive their  commission  from  God,  is  manifest  from 
Hebrews  v.  4.  No  man  taketh  this  honour  to  himself, 
but  he  that  is  called  of  God  as  was  Aaron.  Now,  be- 
sides the  plain  meaning  of  the  words,  which  shows, 
that  he  who  officiates  in  divine  matters  is  to  be  set 
apart,  and  to  have  a  distinct  commission  from  the 
rest  of  mankind,  and  that  this  commission  must  be 
derived  from  Divine  institution,  the  necessity  of  such 
a  Divine  commission  to  qualify  a  person  for  any  sa- 
cred office  may  be  proved  by  three  invincible  argu- 
ments. 

First,  From  the  dignity  of  the  office.  It  is  called 
an  honour.  The  ministers  of  religion  are  the  repre- 
sentatives of  God  Almighty:  they  are  the  stewards  of 
the  mysteries  of  God,  the  dispensers  of  his  holy  word  and 
sacraments,  the  messengers  and  embassadors  of  Hea- 
ven. These  characters  ascribed  to  them  in  Holy 
Scripture  sufficiently  demonstrate  the  dignity  of  their 
function,  and  are  a  plain  argument,  that  none  but  God 
himself  can  give  them  their  commission. 

Secondly,  From  the  constant  practice  among  the 
Jews.  The  apostle  makes  the  calling  of  Aaron  the 
pattern  of  all  other  ministers  in  the  Jewish  and  Chris- 
tian Church.  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and  the  Levites 
were  consecrated  by  the  express  command  of  God  to 
Moses,  and  they  had  all  of  them  their  distinct  commis- 
sion from  Heaven,  and  no  less  than  death  was  the  pe- 
nalty of  invading  their  office,  (k)  What  Aaron  and 
his  sons,  and  the  Levites  were  in  the  temple,  such  are 
the  Bishops,  Presbyters,  and  Deacons,  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church. 

These  are  appointed  by  God  as  those  were,  and 
therefore  it  can  be  no  less  sacrilege  to  usurp  their 
office. 

Thirdly,  From  the  example  of  our  Saviour,  who  (a» 

(h)  Nun*,  iii.  10. 


(      "      ) 

lite  apostle  speaks)  glorified  not  himself  to  he  made  an 
high  priest^  but  he  that  said  unto  him.  Thou  art  try  Son, 
to-day  have  I  begotten  thee.  (I)  Though  our  Saviour 
Tvanted  no  gift  to  qualify  him  for  this  office,  as  having 
the  Divine  nature  inseparably  united  to  his  human,  yet 
he  would  not  enter  upon  his  office  till  he  was  exter- 
nally commissioned  thereunto  by  the  visible  descent 
of  the  Koly  Ghost  upon  him,  and  an  audible  voice  from 
Heaven,  proclaiming  him  to  be  the  Messiah.  From 
all  which  it  is  evident,  that  no  one  ought  to  exercise 
the  office  of  a  minister  in  the  Church  of  God  without 
a  Divine  commission ;  and  that  as  the  officers  of  the 
Christian  Church,  Bishops,  Priests,  and  Deacons, 
were  appointed  by  God,  this,  like  every  other  Divine 
institution,  must  remain  in  the  same  state  till  it  shall 
please  God  to  change  or  wholly  lay  it  aside  ;  for  men 
may  with  the  same  reason  abolish  the  sacraments  of 
the  Church,  and  all  other  Christian  institutions,  as 
pretend  that  the  functions  of  Church  officers  are  mu- 
table and  temporary. 

III.  As  no  society  can  subsist  without  officers,  so 
neither  can  it  with  out  power  to  do  all  things  which  are 
necessary  to  its  own  preservation  and  good  govern- 
ment ;  and  as  it  appears,  that  the  Church  is  a  society 
instituted  by  God,  and  designed  to  last  to  the  world's 
end,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  he  has  invested 
it  with  all  the  powers  which  the  nature  of  such  a  so- 
ciety requires. 

First,  As  the  Church  is  a  spiritual  society,  all  the 
powers  which  belong  to  it  are  of  the  same  nature,  and 
such  as  wholly  relate  to  the  next  world;  consequently 
they  are  distinct  from  those  of  civil  magistrates,  which 
concern  the  affairs  of  this  life,  and  are  designed  for 
the  present  welfare  of  human  societies.  Our  Lord 
himself  wholly  disclaimed  all  civil  power,  and  left  the 
civil  rights  of  mankind  in  the  same  state  wherein  he 
found  them.  And  when  the  apostle  exhorts  the  He- 
brews to  yield  obedience  to  their  pastors,  he  restrains 

(I)  Heb.  y.  5. 


(  a  i 


it  to  the  affairs  of  their  souls,  for  which  their  jxistors 
were  accountable  to  God  :  Obey  them  that  have  the  rule 
over  you,  and  submit  yourselves,  for  they  watch  for  your 
souls,  as  they  that  must  give  an  account,    (m) 

Secondly,  As  God  has  appointed  officers  to  govern 
his  Church,  the  powers  which  he  has  committed  to 
his  Church  for  its  good  government  must  ordinarily 
be  executed  by  them.  For  every  office  implies  power, 
and  to  say  that  the  officers  of  the  Church  have  no  power 
but  what  all  private  Christians  may  lawfully  exercise, 
is  just  the  same  as  to  say  there  are  no  such  officers  at 
all.  And  as  there  are  distinct  offices,  so  there  must 
be  distinct  powers  appropriated  to  every  one  of  them  ;. 
for  as  the  notion  of  an  office  implies  power,  so  distinct 
offices  do  necessarily  imply  distinct  powers:  and  there- 
fore, though  the  Scriptures  had  been  silent  in  this 
matter,  it  might  safely  have  been  concluded,  from 
the  different  kinds  of  officers  whom  Christ  hath  in- 
trusted with  the  care  and  government  of  his  Church, 
not  only  that  private  Christians  are  excluded  from  the 
ordinary  execution  of  any  ecclesiastical  power;  but 
that  some  powers  are  appropriated  in  such  a  manner 
to  the  chief  officers,  that  they  cannot  lawfully  be  exer- 
cised by  those  of  lower  orders.  The  officers  of  the 
Church  are  called  God's  stewards,  who  are  intrusted 
with  the  care  and  government  of  his  household,  that  is, 
his  Church ;  and  whose  business  and  duty  it  is  to  dis- 
pense their  constant  food,  u  e.  the  word  and  sacra- 
ments to  all  the  members  of  it ;  whence  it  is  plain, 
that  private  Christians  have  no  power  to  dispense  the 
ordinances  of  the  Gospel  to  others,  but  must  them- 
selves expect  them  from  the  hands  of  God's  ministers. 
And  the  names  of  apostles  and  angels,  whereby  the 
officers  of  the  Church  were  distinguished  from  other 
Christians  in  the  apostolic  age,  manifestly  imply,  that 
they  acted  by  a  commission  from  God,  to  which  the 
rest  had  no  title.  And  however  great  the  gifts  and 
abilities  of  private  Christians    mignt  be,  none  had 

(m)  Heb.  xiii.  17, 
B 


(  **  ) 

power  to  exercise  any  function  or  office  in  the  Church, 
who  had  not  been  first  approved  and  commissioned  by 
those  whom  God  had  invested  with  authority  to 
that  end;  for  through  the  whole  New  Testament  the 
gifts  or  abilities  of  Church-officers  are  every  where 
distinguished  from  their  commission^  and  described  as 
previous  qualifications  to  it. 

Thirdly,  What  these  powers  of  the  Church  are, 
and  to  whom  each  of  them  belongs  in  particular,  the 
Scripture  will  inform  us.  They  may  be  reduced  un- 
der the  following  heads,  viz.  The  power,  1 .  Of  preach- 
ing. 2.  Of  prayer.  3.  Of  baptism.  4.  Of  celebrat- 
ing the  Lord's  Supper.  5.  Of  confirming  persons  bap- 
tized. 6.  Of  ordaining  ministers.  7.  Of  making  ca- 
nons. 8.  Of  jurisdiction.  9..  Of  demanding  mainte- 
nance. 

First,  The  first  of  these  powers  is  that  of  preaching 
the  Gospel,  which  naturally  precedes  all  the  rest,  be- 
cause it  is  the  means  which  God  has  been  pleased  to 
appoint  for  converting  men  to  the  Christian  faith,  in 
order  to  bring  them  into  his  Church,  w herein  the 
other  powers  are  exercised.  None  have  a  right  to 
preach  without  a  commission  ;  for  how  shall  they  preach 
except  they  be  sent  ?  (n)  Our  Lord  himself  was  sent  and 
commissioned  by  the  Father  to  preach  the  Gospel,  (o) 
and  this  was  one  of  the  functions  to  which  he  was 
anointed  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  like  manner  he  so- 
lemnly called  and  set  apart  his  apostles  to  this  office,  (p) 
and  gave  them  commission  to  teach  all  nations,  (q) 
And  this  branch  of  the  apostolic  office,  viz.  preaching 
the  Gospel,  was  derived  to  their  successors  the 
Bishops.  Hence  St.  Paul  charges  Timothy  to  preach 
the  word,  (r)  and  one  previous  qualification  required 
of  such  as  were  to  be  ordained  Bishops,  is,  that  they  be 
apt  to  teach;  (s)  but  this  power  was  net  confined  to 
the  Bishops,  or  superior  order  of  ministers  in  the 
Church,  for  the  apostle  calls  the  FresYters  hhfellow- 

(n )  Koi-i.  ::.  14,  1 5.     (o)  Luke  iv.  18.     (p)  Matk  iii.  14.  vi.  *f* 
(a)  Mat.  xxviii.  19.     (r)  1  Tim.  iv.  1,  2.     fsJ  *  Tim-  »»•  2* 


(      15      ) 

fttbourers,  that  Og  his  associates  in  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel ;  and  Philip,Who  was  only  a  Deacon,  preached  the 
word  »i  Samaria.  ^11  the  different  orders  exercised 
this  function;  the  -shops,  as  invested  with  the  pleni- 
tude of  power,  the  Priests  and  Deacons  by  an  autho- 
rity derived  from  them. 

Secondly,  Another  religious  act,  which  has  always 
been  appropriated  to  the  Clergy,  is  offering  to  God 
the  prayers  of  the  Church.  In  secret,  every  man  is 
his  own  orator ;  and  in  private  families,  performance 
of  divine  worship  is  incumbent  on  them,  to  whom  the 
care  and  government  of  the  family  belong  ;  but  in  the 
public  congregations  of  Christians,  divine  worship 
must  be  celebrated  only  by  those  to  whom  it  Las 
pleased  God  to  commit  this  office.  The  presenting  of 
the  people  'sprayers  to  God,  and  interceding  with  him? 
to  bless  thenl*  has  always  been  reckoned  an  essential 
part  of  the  sacerdotal  office.     The   apostles  join  the 

offices  of \pn '• .-.   -.■■-.  "together:   We,  say  they, 

will  give   ourselves  continually  to  ;.  d  to  the  mi- 

nistry of  the  word,  (t)  St.  James  directs  sick  persons 
to  send  for  the  Presbyters  of  the  Church  to  pray  and. 
intercede  for  them,  (v)  that  4h-eir  sins  may  be  for- 
given. And  the  twenty-four  Elders  in  the  Revelation, 
who  represent  the  ministers  of  the  Christian  Church, 
have  every  one  of  them  golden  vials  full  of  incense,  which 
is  the  prayers  of  the  saints,   (u) 

Thirdly,  The  next  power  is  that  of  admitting  mem- 
bers into  the  Church  by  baptism.  This  is  expressed 
in  the  commission  which  our  Lord  gave  to  his  apostles 
just  before  his  ascension  :  Go,  teach  all  nations,  bap- 
tizing them,  (w)  Yet  was  it  never  understood  to  be  so 
strictly  appropriated  to  them,  but  that  it  might  law- 
fully be  exercised  by  inferior  ministers.  For  we  find 
that  Philip,  the  Deacon,  baptized  the  Samaritans  and 
the  Ethiopian  eunuch,  (x)  Hence,  though  the  power 
of  baptism  belongs  chiefly  and  primarily  to  the  Bishops, 

(t)  Acts  vi.  4.       (vj  James  v.  14.       fuj  Rev.  v.  8, 

r~c)  Mat.  xxviii.  19.  (x)  Acts  ix 


(   IS  ) 

ret  it  belongs  also  to  the  Presbyters,  who  are  the 
bishops'  assistants  in  the  care  and  government  of  the- 
Church;  and  may  lawfully  be  committed  to  Deacons; 
but  neither  Presbyters  nor  Deacons  ought  to  baptize 
without  the  Bishop's  allowance. 

Fourthly,  Another  power  which  our  Lord  has  left 
to  his  Church  is,  that  of  consecrating  the  eucharist, 
or  Lord's  Supper.  The  first  eucharist  was  consecrated" 
by  our  Lord  himself  a  little  before  his  passion.  At 
the  same  time  he  gave  his  apostles  commission  to  do, 
as  he  had  done;  Do  this,  said  he,  in  remembrance  of 
me*  (y)  Yet  this  office  Mas  not  so  strictly  appropri- 
ated to  the  apostks,  but  that  it  might  be  lawfully  exe- 
cuted by  the  ministers  of  the  second  orrery  whence 
we  find,  that  the  eucharist  was  consecrated  in  the 
Church  of  Corinth,  when  no  minister  above  the  order 
of  Presbyters,  who  were  next  below  the  apostles,  was 
there.  The  reason  why  Deacons  were  not  allowed 
to  consecrate  the  Lord's  Supper  was,  because  this  sa- 
crament was  always  believed  to  succeed  in  the  place 
of  sacrifices  ;  and  as  none  beside  the  high  priest,  and 
inferior  priests,  were  permitted  to  offer  sacrifices 
under  the  Jewish  law,  so  none  but  Bishops  and  Pres- 
byters, who  alone  are  priests  in  the  Christian  sense  of 
that  name,  consecrated  the  Lord's  Supper, 

Fifthly,  A  further  power  which  belongs  to  the 
Church  is  that  of  imposing  hands  on  persons  bap- 
tized, commonly  called  confirmation.  The  Scripture 
gives  us  the  following  account  of  the  exercise  of  this 
power  :  When  Philip,  the  Deacon  and  Evangelist,  had 
converted  and  baptized  the  Samaritans,  the  apostles 
which  were  at  Jerusalem  sent  unto  them  Peter  and  John, 
who  having  prayed  and  laid  their  hands  on  them,  they  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Ghost,  who  was  before  fallen  upon  none  of 
them  ;  only  they  were  baptized  in  the  najne  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  (z)  When  the  twelve  disciples  at  Ephesus  had 
been  baptized  by  Timothy,  or  some  other  of  St,  Paul's 
assistants,  Paul  laid   his  hands  on  them,  and  the  Holy 

(y)  Luicc:  xxii.  19.  (z)  Acts  viii.  14,  17. 


(  17  ) 

Ghost  came  upon  them,  (a)  From  which  passages  these 
two  things  appear :  First,  That  the  end  and  design 
of  this  office  was  to  confer  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
upon  persons  lately  baptized.  Secondly,  That  it  was 
so  strictly  appropriated  to  the  apostles,  that  it  could 
not  ordinarily  be  performed  even  by  inspired  men, 
and  workers  of  miracles,  who  were  of  no  inferior  or- 
der. And  that  it  was  not  a  temporary  institution,  but 
one  which  was  fundamental  to  Christianity,  and  conse- 
quently lasting  and  perpetual,  is  plain  from  its  being 
called  a  principle  and  foundation ;  and  joined  with 
some  of  the  most  essential  duties  and  articles  of  the 
Christian  religion.  Leaving  the  priiiciples  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ,  let  us  go  on  unto  perfection  ;  not  laying 
again  the  foundation  of  repentance  from  dead  ivorks,  and 
of  faith  towards  God,  of  the  doctrine  of  baptism,  and  of 
laying  on  of  hands,  and  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
end  of  eternal  judgment. 

Sixthly,  Another  power  mentioned  as  belonging  to 
the  Church  is  that  of  ordaining  ministers.  It  having 
been  shown  that  there  must  always  be  ministers  of 
different  orders  in  the  Church  ;  and  that  no  man  can 
ordinarily  exercise  any  ecclesiastical  office,  or  function, 
who  is  not  lav/fully  called  to  it;  the  next  inquiry  is, 
from  whom  this  call  or  commission  must  be  expected  ? 

Now,  the -original  of  this  commission  is  from  God, 
the  Father,  by  whom  our  Lord  was  sent  into  the 
world  to  mediate  between  God  and  man,  as  he  him- 
self witnesseth.  As  thou  hast  sent  me  into  the  world, 
saith  he  to  the  Father,  even  so  have  I  also  sent  them  into 
the  world;  (b)  and  to  his  apostles,  As  my  Father  sent 
me,  even  so  send  I  yoiu  (c)  So  that  the  whole  power 
of  erecting  the  Christian  Church,  and  of  governing  it 
since  it  was  erected,  is  derived  from  the  Father. 

But  then  the  person  by  whom  this  power  is  imme- 
diately conferred  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  third  person 
in  the  blessed  and  undivided  Trinity.  He  it  was,  by 
whose  anointing  our  Lord  was  invested  with  his  media- 

(a)  Acts  xix.  6.     (b)  John  xvii.  18.      fcj  John  xx.  21. 
B2 


(    ?s    ) 

torial  office.  Whence  he  is  said  to  have  preached  Bj 
the  Spirit  $(d)  through  the  Holy  Spirit  he  gave  com- 
mandments  to  the  apostles  whom  he  had  chosen,  (e)  By  the 
Spirit  of  God  he  cast  out  devils.  Through  the  eternal  Spi- 
rit he  offered  himself  to  God}(f)  and  the  authority  and 
special  grace,  whereby  the  apostles  and  all  church-officers 
execute  their  respective  functions,  are  in  the  same 
manner  ascribed  to  the  Spirit*  This  was  expressed 
in  the  very  form  of  the  apostles'  ordination,  Receiveye 
the  Holy  Ghost:  whosesoever  sins  ye  remit^they  are  remit- 
ted; and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained,  (g) 
"Where  the  authority  to  remit  and  retain  sins  is 
made  a  consequence  of  their  receiving  the  Holy 
Ghost.  And  St,  Paul  ascribes  to  the  same  Spirit  both 
the  offices  of  the  apostles  and  other  ministers,  and 
their  abilities  to  discharge  those  offices,  (h)  So  that 
■all  ecclesiastical  authority  is  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  But  the  question  is,  What  persons  God  has 
entrusted  with  authority  to  ordain  ministers  in  the 
Church  ? 

And  if  we  may  be  allowed  to  reason  from  the  con- 
stitution and  universal  practice  of  civil  societies,  we 
must  conclude,  that  the  power  of  ordaining  ministers 
belongs  to  the  Bishops,  who  are  the  chief  governors 
of  the  Church,  because  the  power  of  constituting  sub- 
ordinate magistrates  belongs  to  the  supreme  governors 
of  all  civil  societies  :  and  it  is  contradictory  to  reason, 
that  they  who  exercise  any  authority,  whether  in  the 
Church  or  in  the  state,  should  derive  their  authority 
from  any  but  those  in  whom  the  supreme  authority 
is  lodged. 

Accordingly,  we  find  in  the  Gospel,  that  whilst  our 
Lord  lived  on  earth,  he  reserved  the  power  of  ordain- 
ing ministers  to  himself.  He  gave  the  apostles  and 
the  seventy  disciples  a  commission  to  preach,  but  never 
allowed  them,  while  he  continued  among  them,  to 
communicate  that  commission  to  any  other.     After- 

(d)  Luke  iv.  18.         fej  Acts  i.  2.         ffj  Heb.  ix  14. 
(gj  JohH  xxii.  22, 23.     (h)  1  Cor.  xii.  1.  31.  Epk.  iy.  7. 8, 11, 


(  tf  ) 

wards,  when  the  apostles  were  the  chief  visible  go- 
vernors of  the  Church,  they  ordained  Ministers,  All 
the  Apostles  together  ordained  the  seven  Deacons  in 
the  Church  of  Jerusalem,  (i)  Paul  and  Barnabas  or- 
dained Eiders  in  every  Church  which  they  visited,  (k) 
In  the  same  age,  this  authority  was  exercised  by 
others  whom  the  apostles  had  ordained to  be  chief  go- 
vernors of  Churches.  Timothy  and  Titus  ordained  mi- 
nisters in  their  respective  dioceses  of  Ephesus  and 
Crete  :  but  that  no  inferior  order  had  this  power  is 
evident.  St.  Paul  tells  Titus,  that  for  this  cause  he  left 
him  in  Crete,  that  he  might  ordain  Elders  in  every  city.  (I) 
But  this  could  be  no  cause  of  leaving  him  there, 
if  the  Presbyters  or  Elders  had  the  power  of  ordina^ 
tion  lodged  in  them  :  for  that  island  had  been  convert- 
ed to  Christianity  long  before  this  epistle  was  written, 
and  before  Titus  came  thither :  and  no  doubt  there 
were  many  Presbyters  among  them.  The  same  may- 
be said  of  Timothy's  being  sent  to  Ephesus.  To  what 
purpose  was  he  sent  thither,  if  the  Presbyters  there 
before  had  power  to  ordain  ?  So  that  it  appears  from. 
Scripture,  and  from  the  nature  of  the  episcopal  office, 
that  none  but  Bishops  have  authority  to  ordain  Minis- 
ters in  the  Church ;  and,  consequently,  none  but 
those  who  are  ordained  by  them,  can  be  truly  said  to 
have  a  divine  commission,  or  any  authority  to  minister 
in  the  Christian  Church. 

Seventhly,  The  next  power  to  be  mentioned,  which 
the  Church  exercised  in  the  primitive  ages,  was  that 
of  making  canons,  or  laws  for  the  behaviour  of  its 
members  in  spiritual  affairs.  Whereby  it  is  not  meant, 
that  the  Church  has  authority  to  change  any  of  the 
divine  laws,  or  impose  any  article  of  faith,  or  rule  of 
moral  duty,  or  to  prescribe  any  condition  of  salvation, 
which  is  neither  expressly  contained  in  the  Scriptures, 
nor  can  certainly  be  concluded  from  them ;  but  only 
that  she  is  invested  with  power  in  all  such  things  as 
relate  to  the  outward  peace  and  order  of  the  Church. 

(I)  Acts  vi.  3,  16.      (k)  Act*  xiv,  23.      (I)  Titus  i.  5,  9. 


(      20)      ) 

And  if  it  appears  that  things  of  this  kind  are  left  un- 
determined by  the  Script;  -es,  and  also  that  it  is  ne- 
cessary they  should  be  determined,  then  we  cannot 
doubt  but  that  Christ  has  intrusted  the  Church  with 
authority  to  determine  them.  Now,  that  these  are 
not  particularly  determined  by  Scripture,  is  very  evi- 
dent. For  the  rules  of  Scripture  are  ail  general.  We 
are  commanded  to  assemble  together  to  worship  Godj 
but  the  times  and  places  are  not  expressed.  We  are 
commanded  to  follow  such  things  as  make  for  peace  and 
edification,  and  to  do  all  things  decently  and  in  order ; 
but  the  particular  methods  whereby  order  must  be 
maintained,  and  edification  promoted,  are  no  where 
set  down.  Timothy,  and  all  other  Bishops  with  him, 
are  commanded  to  lay  hands  suddenly  on  no  man  ;  but  the 
previous  trials  of  such  as  are  candidates  for  holy  or- 
ders, and  the  time  and  methods  of  examination  into 
their  abilities  and  behaviour,  are  left  undetermined. 
But  it  is  necessary  that  these  things  should  be  deter- 
mined; for  otherwise  nothing  but  disorder  and  con- 
fusion would  be  seen  in  the  Church,  and  therefore 
Christ  has  certainly  left  the  governors  of  his  Church 
authority  to  determine  them.  And,  accordingly,  if 
Tve  inquire  into  the  practice  of  the  apostles,  and  other 
primitive  governors  of  the  Church,  we  shall  find, 
that,  besides  the  standing  rules  of  the  Gospel,  they 
established  many  regulations,  as  the  several  occa- 
sions of  the  Churches  under  their  care  required.  In 
many  of  St.  Paul's  epistles,  especially  in  those  to  the 
Corinthians,  he  prescribes  particular  rules  for  the  de- 
cency of  divine  worship,  the  avoiding  of  scandal,  and 
other  things  which  were  not  determined  by  Christ; 
and  he  speaks  of  customs  which  he  himself  and  other 
apostles  established  and  the  Churches  observed,  (m) 
There  is,  and  ever  will  be  the  same  necessity  of  pre- 
scribing rules  for  the  peace  and  good  government  of 
the  Church,  and  the  order  and  decency  of  divine  ser- 
vice, that  there  was  in  the  apostolic  age:  and,  corfse- 

(m)  1  Cor.  %r.  16, 


(    w    ) 

quently,  there  is  the  same  reason  why  this  autho- 
rity- should  be  transmitted  to  the  Bishops  in  all  ages, 
as  in  any  other  part  of  the  apostolical  office. 

Eiglitly,  From  the  power  of  making  laws,  we  pro- 
ceed to  that  of  jurisdiction,  or  executing  the  laws; 
that  is,  the  power  of  judging  and  censuring  offenders. 
That  our  blessed  Lord  has  intrusted  the  Church,  and 
particularly  the  governors  of  it,  with  authority  to  cen- 
sure  offenders,  and  to  exclude  them  from  its  communion^ 
will  appear,  if  we  consider  the  Church,  fir3t,  as  a  so- 
ciety ;  for  this  authority  is  exercised  by  all  societies 
whatever.  And  as  in  civil  societies  this  authority  is 
necessary  for  securing  men's  lives  and  properties, 
which  is  the  chief  end  for  which  it  pleased  God  to  in- 
stitute these  societies ;  so  in  the  Church  or  spiritual 
society,  the  same  authority  is  equally  necessary  to 
attain  the  ends  for  which  the  Church  was  founded ; 
namely,  to  maintain  the  purity  of  divine  worship,  to 
secure  men  from  the  pollutions  of  the  world*  and 
train  them  up  in  virtue  and  piety  now,  in  order  to 
make  them  happy  for  ever ;  all  which  cannot  be  efc 
fected  if  the  Church  has  not  power  to  exclude  from 
its  communion  such  unworthy  members  as  endea- 
vour to  oppose  these  ends,  by  promoting  vice,  super- 
stition, and  infidelity. 

Secondly,  As  a  Society,  the  privileges  whereof  are 
conditional ;  for  none  must  be  admitted  into  the 
Church  by  baptism,  who  do  not,  by  themselves,  or 
/their  sureties,  profess  the  faith,  and  vow  obedience 
to  the  laws  of  Christ ;  and  if  these  conditions  are  ne- 
cessary for  men's  admission  into  the  Church,  they 
must  be  so  for  their  continuance  in  it.  For  no  reason 
can  be  shown  why  men  should  be  obliged  to  vow  faith 
and  obedience  in  order  to  their  becoming  members 
of  the  Church,  which  does  not  equally  hold  for  their 
exclusion  from  it  when  they  notoriously  break  that  vow: 
so  that  the  power  of  excommunication  is  a  manifest 
eonsequence  of  the  ta^/i-mo/ covenant,  and  committed 
to  the  governors  of  the  Church,  who  have  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  sacraments*. 


(     22      ) 

Thirdly,  As  it  has  received  this  power  from  our 
Lord's  institution.  Upon  Peter's  confessing  our  Lord,. 
to  be  the  Son  of  God,  he  declared  first,  that  upon  this 
rock  he  would  build  his  Church,  against  which  the  gates 
of  hell  should  never  prevail;  and  then  added,  /  will 
give  unto  thee  (that  is,  to  Peter,  and  with  him  to  the  rest 
of  the  apostles)  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  and 
'whatsoever  thou  s/ialt  bind  on  earth,  shall—be  bound  in 
heaven;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth,  shall  be 
loosed  in  heaven:  (n)  the  meaning  of  which  promise 
is  manifestly  this,  that  the  apostles  and  their  succes- 
sors should  be  chief  governors  of  the  Church  under 
Christ,  and  as  such,  should  have  authority  to  admit 
and  exclude,  to  condemn  or  absolve,  whom  they 
judged  convenient ;  which  is  certain  from  another 
passage,  where  our  Lord,  having  cautioned  his  disci- 
ples that  they  should  not  offend  others,  proceeds  to 
instruct  them  how  to  behave  themselves  when  others 
should  offend  them.  That  first  they  should  privately 
admonish  the  offender;  if  this  did  not  bring  him  to- 
repentance,  they  should  then  reprove  him  before  two 
or  three  witnesses;  but  if  this  also  proved  unsuccess- 
ful, their  last  remedy  should  be  to  tell  it  to  the  Church  ; 
and  if  the  offender  still  neglected  to  hear,  as  their 
authority  was  wholly  spiritual,  and  they  could  not  in- 
flict any  civil  punishment  en  him,  all  that  our  Lord 
directs  them  to  do  is,  that  they  should  account  the 
obstinate  offender  as  an  heathen  or  a  publican,  (o)  they 
should  look  on  him  no  longer  as  a  member  of  the 
Church,  but  place  him  among  infidels,  and  other  pro- 
figate  men,  whose  conversation  they  used  to  shun. 

That  this  authority  was  exercised  and  held  to  be  of 
divine  right  by  the  Apostles  and  their  successors  the 
Bishops  of  the  primitive  Church,  is  clear;  from  the 
case  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  when  it  pleased  God  to 
attest  the  apostolic  authority  of  retaining  sins,  by  en- 
abling Peter  to  strike  both  the  offenders  with  present 
death:  (p)   and  from  the  case  of  the  incestuous  Corin-. 

(n)  Mat.  xvi.  19.     foj  Mat.  xviii.  15,  16,  17.     (p)  Acts  v.  12,... 


(      23      ) 

ihian,  fq)  whom  St.  Paul  delivered  to  Satan,  excluded 
from  the  Church  of  Christ,  from  the  crime  of  incest, 
and  afterwards  received  again  to  communion  upon  re- 
pentance. And  this  power  was  not  confined  to  the 
apostles,  but  was  to  be  continued  to  their  successors: 
We  find  it  was  committed  to  Timothy  and  Titus,  whom 
St.  Paul  set  over  the  Churches  of  Ephesus  and  Crete, 
For  he  writes  thus  to  Timothy :  Against  an  Elder  re- 
ceive not  an  accusation,  but  before  two  or  three  witnesses; 
(r)  and  if  he  had  power  to  receive  accusations  and 
hear  witnesses,  he  must  have  authority  to  pass  some 
■  censure  upon  them,  if  they  were  found  guilty.  And 
the  same  apostle  writes  thus  to  Titus:  A  man  that  is 
an  heretic,  after  the  first  and  second  admonition,  reject. (s) 
The  like  power  had  the  angels  of  the  seven  Churches 
in  the  Revelation.  For  the  Bishop  of  Pergamus  was 
severely  reproved  for  having  the  Nicolaitans  in  his 
communion,  ft  J  and  the  Bishop  of  Thy  at  ir a  for  suf- 
fering that  woman  Jezebel,  fvj  Which  manifestly  im- 
plies, they  had  authority  to  exclude  them  from  the 
Church,  for  otherwise  they  could  not  have  been 
blamed  for  permitting  them  to  remain  in  it. 

Ninthly,  Lastly,  another  right  ofrthe  Clergy  is  that 
of  demanding  a  competent  maintenance  from  the 
people  committed  to  their  charge.  It  is  certain  that 
God  has. an  absolute  right  to  dispose  of  all  we  have  in 
the  world  ;  and  since  it  has  appeared,  that  he  has  ap- 
pointed an  order  of  men  to  attend  continually  on 
his  worship  and  service,  we  cannot  doubt  but  that  he 
requires  so  much  of  our  worldly  substance  to  be  set 
apart  for  their  support,  as  may  enable  them  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  their  function,  and  such  as  may- 
express  the  just  respect  which  is  borne  to  their  office 
and  character.  Our  Lord  himself,  with  his  retinue  of 
Ap@stles  and  Disciples,  was  maintained  by  charitable 
contributions  ;  for  we  read  that  many  ministered  unto  him 
of  their  substance,  fu)  When  he  sent  forth  his  Apostles 

fq)  1  Cor.  v.  1.       frj  1  Tim,  v.  19.       fsj  Tit.  iii.  10, 
ft  J  Rev.  ii.  15,  16.     fvj  Rev.  ii.  20.     (u)  Luke  viii.  2, 3, 


(     24      ) 

to  preach,  he  gave  them  this  instruction,  Provide  nei- 
tJier.gold,  nor  silver,  nor  brass,  in  your  purses,  for -the 
'workman  is  worthy  of  his  meat,  (w)  Whence  it  is 
manifest,  that  our  Lord  accounted  it  the  duty  of  those 
to  whom  the  Gospel  was  preached,  to  give  a  compe- 
tent maintenance  to  them  that  preached  it.  When 
the  apostle  St.  Paul  puts  the  Thessalonians  in  mind, 
that  he  had  maintained  himself,  he  at  the  same  time 
asserts  his  right  to  require  maintenance  of  them  :  Not 
(says  he)  because  we  have  not  power,  (x)  And  to  the 
Corinthians  he  says,  That  as  they  who  wait  at  the  altar, 
are  partakers  with  the  altar,  even  so  hath  the  Lord  or- 
dained, that  they  who  preach  the  Gospel,  should  live  of  the 
Gospel,  (y)  Where  it  is  plain,  that  the  Ministers  of 
the  Gospel  have  authority  to  require  a  competent 
maintenance  from  the  people  committed  to  their 
care ;  and  as  the  privileges  of  the  Gospel  certainly  are 
not  less  than  those  of  the  law,  and  the  Apostle  has  in- 
ferred, that  the  Ministers  of  Christ  ought  to  live  of 
the  Gospel,  because  the  Jewish  priests  lived  of  the  altar, 
ive  may  reasonably  conclude,  that  their  maintenance 
must  not  be  less  in  proportion  than  that  which  the 
Jewish  priests  enjoyed. 

IV.  As  it  appears  that  the  Church  is  a  complete  so- 
ciety, wherein  some  govern,  and  others  are  governed, 
the  next  thing  to  be  determined  is,  What  obedience 
is  due  from  the  private  members  of  this  society  to 
their  governors?  That  all  lay-christians  do  owe  some 
obedience  to  their  spiritual  rulers,  is  evident  from  our 
Lord's  command  to  hear  the  Church,  (z)  and  the  in- 
junction of  the  Apostle,  Obey  them  that  have  the  rule 
over  you,  and  submit  yourselves,  for  they  watch  for  your 
souls,  as  they  that  must  give  an  account,  (a)  The  Church 
which  we  are  to  hear,  is  to  be  known  from  the  fore- 
going description  of  it;  and  the  rulers  to  whom  wc 
are  to  yield  obedience,  and  submit  ourselves,  are  they 
who  derive  their  commission  by  an  uninterrupted  suc- 
% 

(no)  Mat.  x.  9,  10.     (x)  2  Thess.  iii.  8.     (y)  1  Cor.  is.  6- 
(z-)  Mat.  xviii.  17.  (a)  Heb.  xiii.  17. 


(     25     ) 

cession  from  Christ  and  his  Apostles.     Wherein  th:£ 
obedience  to  our  rulers  consists,  and  what  are  the  li- 
mits of  it,  we  may  learn  from  the  nature  and  extent 
of  their  power;  for  so  far  as   they  have  a  right  to 
command,  so   far  are  we  bound  to  obey.     Now  all 
things  that  are  in  the  world  may  be  divided  into gocdi 
bed,   and   indifferent.     The  good  oblige  by  their  own 
nature,  and  the  command  of  God;  in  these  things 
the  authority   of  our  governors  is.  of  no  force;  fcr* 
whatever  is   enjoined  by   the   positive  command  o£ 
God,  we  are  bound  to  do,  whether  they  require  it  or 
not.     The  evil  are  by  the  same  forbidden,   and  we 
are  obliged  not  to  obey  our  governors,  if  they  should 
command  them.     So  that  it  is   the  indifferent   only 
whereto  their  authority  reaches;  and  the  things  which 
are  indifferent  in  themselves  are  all  those  which  relate 
to   the    outward    peace   and  order  of  the    Church  ; 
which  are  not  enjoined  by  the  express  word  of  God, 
but  yet  are  in  no  respect  contrary  to  it,  in  no  wise 
forbidden  by  it.  This  authority  was  exercised  by  the 
Governors  of  the  Church  from  the  beginning  (as  hath 
been  shown),  and  it  undoubtedly  belongs  to  them  ;  for 
as  they  are  evidently  invested  with  some  spiritual  au- 
thority,  and  they  can  command  in  nothing  at  all  if 
not  in  indifferent  things,  in  all  such  things  as  are  in- 
different they  certainly  have   a  right  to  command* 
And  as  is  their  authority,  such  is  to  be  our  submis- 
sion.    So  that  the  obedience  we  owe  to  our  spiritual 
governors  consists  in  observing  all  their  injunctions, 
that  are  contained  within  these  bounds  of  their  com- 
mission; in  submitting  to  that  discipline,  which  they 
shall  inflict,  either  to  recover  us  from  a  state  of  folly, 
or    to  preserve  us  from  falling  into  it ;  in  attending 
their  public  administrations  at  such  times  and  places  as 
they  shall  appoint,  and  upon  such  occasions  as  they 
shall  judge  proper,  to  increase  our  piety  and  devotion  ; 
and  in  submitting  to  such  regulations  as  they   shall 
think  conducive  towards   the   edifying  of  the  body  of 
Christ,     This  is  our  duty;  for  things  which  are  ih- 
C 


(     26     ) 

different  in  their  nature,  when  commanded  by  lawful 
authority,  are  no  longer  indifferent  to  us,  but  become 
necessary  in  their  use ;  and  in  disobeying  them  that 
have  the  rule  over  us,  we  disobey  God,  who  has  com- 
manded us  to  be  subject  for  conscience  sake;  and  there- 
fore all  this  we  are  to  do,  from  a  sense  of  that  right 
which  they  have  to  command,  intrusted  to  them  by 
God  our  Saviour,  and  of  that  great  penalty  to  which 
we  are  liable  by  our  contempt ;  for  he  that  despiseth 
them,  despiseth  Him  that  sent  them* 


FINIS. 


ERRATUM. 

In  page  9,  (note)  7th  line  from  the  bottom,  For 
distinguished"  read  distinguishing* 


m 


